The invention relates generally to a method and arrangement for the vitaminizing of grain, that is, for the enrichment of grain in vitamins. Of particular interest to the invention is the vitaminizing of cereal grain for the subsequent processing thereof into food or food staples.
It is known that sprouts require vitamins for their development and that a large number of vitamins for the early development of the sprouts is stored in the grain kernels. It is further known that additional vitamins are synthesized in germinating grain kernels. For instance, it has been determined that, after a germination period of 5 days in wheat, substantially larger quantities of certain vitamins are present than in non-germinated wheat. Additional vitamins are synthesized during the germination phase because the quantities of vitamins stored in the grain are not sufficient to fulfill their functions as growth and working substances for the sprouts. The additional vitamins are synthesized with the aid of enzyme systems which are present in the developed and germination-capable grain kernels and which enable all of the vitamins present in the grain kernels to be synthesized.
Attempts have been made to increase the vitamin content of grain by germination but, despite the physiological nutritional advantages of the germinated grain which are provided by the synthesis of the vitamins, it has not been possible heretofore to make use of grain which has been pretreated in this manner for human nutrition to any significant extent. The reason for the limited utilization of germinated grain for human nutrition resides, above all, in the fact that the originally present properties of the grain which are required for baking purposes are lost by virtue of the germination process. Thus, important supply and nutrient substances such as starches, lipides and albumin are already rapidly decomposed during the initial germination phase, that is, even before the embryos have broken out of the pods. In particular, the gluten content of the grain and the quality of the gluten are adversely affected by the germination process. This leads to the result that, without special further treatment and without admixtures such as coarse ground grain or flour to increase the quality, germinated grain is no longer capable of being baked subsequent to comminution. In addition to this, there is the consideration that, by virtue of the drying operation to which germinated grain must be subjected for the further processing thereof, the germinated grain becomes withered and spoils rapidly.
It will thus be appreciated that improvements in the state of the art are desirable.